Unlike many of the world's capital cities, the tourist centre of Havana is also home to a large proportion of the city's residents, with some of the poorest crammed into apartment buildings right next door to museums, hotels, restaurants & bars. It's hard to see how everyone is equal under communism when the standard of living varies wildly. Havana is incredibly charming, even though it is literally crumbling around you. Staircases wobble precariously and a la Kingston, there are holes in every pavement. Having said that, it was totally safe to walk around, even at night, and there were around 2 policemen to every street. The one thing you notice is that there are no ads, at all. It's hard even to pick out shops and banks because everything looks the same. The city is caught
... read more